Top UK Employers Plan for Mixed Home and Office Working
According to the BBC, 43 of the 50 biggest employers in the UK have said they do not plan to bring staff back to the office full-time post lockdown and they would be embracing a mix of home and office working, known as hybrid working.
As it stands the government is advising those who can work from home to continue doing so until June when Step 4 of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown is expected to take effect. From June it is hoped that premises that have not yet been able to open will be able to do so and that there will be further easing of restrictions on large events and performances.
The new way of hybrid working will require careful planning, both to safely manage which members of staff are in the office on which days but also to ensure that businesses have the technology in place to provide a seamless service to their customers, wherever staff are located.
“Opus can offer first-hand advice on how to maintain effective communications with colleagues and customers, wherever you are located.”
Michael O’Donnell, Chief Commercial Officer
Commenting on the news item, Chief Commercial Officer Michael O’Donnell said, “We are already experiencing some of the challenges ourselves and we anticipate many businesses will be in a similar position when they return to the office in numbers. These include multiple video calls taking place in an open plan office and hybrid meetings where some people are face-to-face and some are remote, resulting in a less than satisfactory experience. Fortunately, at Opus, we have the technologies, and the meeting room spaces available to manage these new requirements and can offer first-hand advice on how to maintain effective communications with colleagues and customers, wherever you are located.”
The BBC article discusses the differing requirements that organisations from different industries will face, together with the varying home environments and emotional needs of staff, so clearly there will be no one-size fits all solution when it comes to hybrid working. Employers will need to make working arrangements post lockdown, a positive experience for staff, in order to maintain morale, team-working and productivity. All of our managed services are tailored to the specific needs of our customers.
